An Important Message to ILHA Members

By William H Harriss. 8/22/23. [email protected]

An important message to ILHA Members

Yesterday I was served a badly cooked pork chop, and I was unable to eat it. When I complained, the waiters' attitude and the whole experience prompted me to write this article based on scientific facts. It was so overcooked, burnt and tough. I had difficulty cutting into it. The waiter, on my objection, first offered me a sharper knife. Ignorance or not caring simply is not good enough. A properly trained waiter would have never picked this meal up in the kitchen, least of all bringing it to the table.

So, I thought I would look online at burnt meat and was shocked by what I found.

Burnt meat can cause dementia in humans and is an increased risk of causing cancer.

THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION'S 'INTERNATIONAL AGENCY FOR RESEARCH ON CANCER’

In October 2015, 22 scientists from ten countries met at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in Lyon, France, to evaluate the carcinogenicity of the consumption of meat cooked at high temperature, over flames, smoked, and processed meat.

‘The World Health Organization’ [WHO]’s ‘International Agency for Research on Cancer’ (IARC) announced that consumption of meat cooked at high temperatures, burnt, or smoked meat, and processed meat are “carcinogenic to humans [Group I].” Their studies claim that such meats are as dangerous as asbestos, and smoking cigarettes.

Consumption of the meats described above was classified as carcinogenic after the IARC Working Group – comprised of 22 scientists from ten countries – evaluated over 800 studies. Conclusions were primarily based on the evidence for colorectal cancer. Data also showed positive associations between processed meat consumption and stomach cancer, pancreatic and prostate cancer.

Cooking – especially high-temperature cooking, including cooking meats over a flame (and, pan-frying, grilling, barbecuing) – can also produce carcinogenic chemicals, including heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAA) and PAHs.

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The media has reported that 50g/day consumption of processed meat can make the risk for colorectal cancer from an average 5 per cent lifetime risk to 6 per cent. This does not sound like much of an increase in risk, but it is almost a 17% extra risk.

So, now we know eating burnt meat may not just be bad for your digestion; it may cause cancer.

Burnt meat contains a chemical called acrylamide, which forms on grilled, fried, or baked foods, especially when they are overcooked to the point of being burnt and black. Acrylamide has been linked to an increased risk of cancer, especially prostate, pancreatic, stomach, and colorectal cancer. Experts advise against eating cooked-burnt meats and suggest choosing other cooking methods that do not produce acrylamide.

If you are a restaurant client served with burnt meat, cut the burnt off and only eat the unaffected meat. A burnt meat product, steak or burger, can do more than turn your taste buds. It can produce cancer-causing chemicals, too.

When protean items—such as beef, pork, fish, or poultry—is cooked at high temperatures, it forms heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). When the item is cooked to the point of being burnt it is at its highest risk of being carcinogenic. According to 'The National Cancer Institute,' HCAs and PCAs are proven to cause cancer in animal models (think: lab rats).

Medical experts advise against eating cooked-burnt meats since there's a pretty good chance, they can up your risk of prostate, pancreatic, stomach, and colorectal cancer. Ref: Natalie E. Azar, M.D., Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine and Rheumatology at NYU Medical Center.

It's worth mentioning that PAHs also have high values in cigarette smoke and car-exhaust fumes.

Cooking [but not burning] meats with garlic, rosemary, fruit pulp, and vitamin E-rich spice rubs like chili powder and paprika may lower HCA production by as much as 70 per cent, according to a review in the 'Natural Medicine Journal.'

If grilling, broiling, or pan-frying, consider turning down the heat. Direct exposure to high temperatures—especially those above 300 degrees—is a main contributor to HCA and PAH production in meat. Ref: 'The National Cancer Institute.'

Charred burnt areas are hot spots for carcinogenic chemicals. If you are a burn-prone chef, constantly flip your meat to limit surface exposure. If the flames still burn a spot, cut it off before serving or eating. DO NOT SERVE BURNT MEAT.

Another class of chemicals, called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), has also been linked to cancer. “PAHs are formed when fat and juices from meat grilled or chargrilled drip onto the flame, fire, or burning coals causing flair up, and flame surge and produce highly toxic smoke,” according to a fact sheet published by 'The National Cancer Institute (NCI).' “The smoke contains PAHs that then adhere to and coat the surface of the meat.”

Both HAAs and PAHs are metabolized by enzymes in the human body. And some of the byproducts of this process can cause serious DNA damage that may contribute to the development of cancer, suggests the research of 'Robert Turesky,' an expert in cancer causation at the 'University of Minnesota.'

Another consideration: Many common cooking oils just cannot take high heat. Grapefruit-seed oil, green virgin olive oil, and soybean oil, for example, can mutate at high temps, compounding any carcinogenic problems already going on in your cooking.

The least toxic for grilling and chargrilling are Almond oil, Avocado oil, Butter, Coconut, and Peanut oil. There are, of course, other suitable oils, but the price and availability make them non-starters for commercial purposes.

WARNING

Chefs and managers should experiment with producing unburnt grilled and char-grilled meats more safely for the clients. Seared, sealed, brown crusted, are safer than black burnt clinker-like items. Now you know the dangers for you to produce and serve burnt meat; it may result in being deemed a criminal act and lay the restaurant open to being sued if you do so. Please, administrators and general managers, talk to your grill chefs, head waiters, and restaurant managers.

I hope this helps my readers to produce safer food for their clients and themselves.

What scientific evidence is there that HCAs and PAHs in burnt meats and processed meats may increase cancer risk?

Selected References provided by The World Health Organization ‘National Cancer Institute.’

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Reviewed: July 11, 2017

“Chemicals in Meat Cooked at High Temperatures and Cancer Risk was originally published by the National Cancer Institute.”